A Robust Model-based Algorithm for Localizing Marine Mammal Transients

Given the increasing interest in the effects of sound on marine mammals, a new modelbased algorithm for localizing transient noises around a sparse, widely-distributed array of receivers has been developed and tested with real acoustic data. The robustness of the algorithm is illustrated in its application to two different scenarios with equal success: localizing humpback whales near Hawaii and blue whales near California. The algorithm is novel in its use of acoustic propagation modeling and in construction of an ambiguity surface to identify the most probable whale location in a horizontal plane around an array. A description of the algorithm and examples of its application to marine mammal localization are provided.